Second Question

My friend Adrienne read my Facebook page and saw my comment that I am packing to move. So, she asked 'Where are you moving to - and WHY?!'

WHY? Because we are crazy people! I mean, doesn't everyone just up and move in the midst of the busiest month of one partner's year and immediately preceding the busiest month of the other partner's year? Isn't that normal?! I guess not, but then Mr. Deb and I have not often been accused of resembling anything close to normal!

The 'where' is the cool part. We found our dream house in July. Well, actually, the house isn't so much of a dream. It's OK, as houses go, and will be serviceable until we remodel it into the open, spacious feel we envision. But the rest....oh wow. It's a farm, with 6 acres of flat sunny land near the beach on an island that is located only 30 minutes North of where we now live. With barns and outbuildings and shops and possibilities for us to grow our business to a size we have previously only dreamed of.

And that's the biggest point of all.... we imagined this for 30 years.
When we talk about what we want our business to be, our life to be, our retirement to look like, this is it. It's what we've always wanted, and even the parts we didn't know we wanted are included! Through a series of miracles and serendipitous events, we are moving in less than four months from the day we found it. I want to say that I firmly believe that imagining, dreaming, envisioning, and having faith that things can happen is paramount to success.

I know, I know, everyone says it's hard work and blood, sweat, and tears that make things happen. That it's balance sheets and credit lines and bank accounts that build businesses. That education and experience are paramount to success. And to a certain extent, they are right....but without imagining the possibilities first, how do you know what that 'success' will look like? Without blueprints, how do you know what the house you build will look like before it exists?

It's been said that a business plan is a roadmap to success. Truly, a business plan is a concept - a dream, if you will - of what you want your business to look like. You are imagining the structure, the form, the details, the outcome, and putting them into the 'tangible form' of words, to precede the 'tangible form' of what they become. You are creating your own path, blueprint, map, to follow so that things come out looking like you want them to: Designing a business, so to speak. And design begins with imagining something that doesn't exist yet.

We've been creating those 'blueprints' for years. Along the way, we doubted that we'd find what we really wanted....until we chose to stop doubting and start believing that it could become reality. Less than one month after we made that decision, we turned a corner (literally!) and found this place. Life changed completely. And our business plan ramped up into high gear. By next weekend, we'll be living in our new place and off on our new journey....amazed, thankful, grateful, and blessed. (And totally ready for the 'hard work' part!)

My turn for a question:
What are YOU imagining for your business, your life, your future????
"Thoughts become things....choose the good ones." TM www.TUT.com

First Question!

There's a line a film I heard recently that set off a train of thought in my overloaded brain. It goes something like this:

"Yeah, I know all about the American Dream.
That's where you take something you love to do and twist it and wrangle it into something that will make you famous or make you money, and it ends up sucking all of the life out of you...and pretty soon, you don't want to do it anymore. Some dream."

Harry Connick, Jr.'s character delivers that line in the film 'Hope Floats', when Sandra Bullock's character says to him, "You could do so much more...". I know, it's a chick flick, but regardless of where it originated, that's a hard-hitting line for anyone in business. (Kind of like the new ad slogan that says "In small business, there are no small decisions". Too true.)

So let me ask you this: Are you living a version of your dream, or waiting for a dream to appear, or has what was once a dream been choked out by fighting to survive? And where do we all go from where we are?

The Diva has days, my friends, where she questions the sanity of having a business at all. It would be so darned easy to get a job creating fab displays for a retailer like Anthro, or Macys, or Nordies. Go in, punch the clock, do the work for eight hours, punch out, go home, have wine, relax. Know exactly how much $$$$ was coming in the paycheck each week. I'm not talking a creative director's position, oh no, I'm talking an hourly schleppin' haulin' hard workin' crew member position. Yes, I do consider it sometimes.

I always decide against it, though. Why?
Well, to answer that is to answer a question I received from Deena in Utah, who wants to know what my passion is and do I live it?

My passion isn't just designing and creating gorgeous displays of products, or welcoming environments, or stunning event decor. If it was, I'd probably have done the 'fallback' thing by now. But my true passion, beside and beneath all of the decorative stuff, is helping small businesses. I want to share and give what I can to equip and encourage you to succeed, even in an economic climate that is questionable at times like this.

My mission statement reads 'I achieve success by supporting and educating independent merchants and small businesses, and contributing to their success.' I want to see you reach your goals, attain your version of your dream (American or otherwise), and grow a successful business. So the blogs and the videos and the articles and the seminars and the trade show displays I do all boil down to me wanting to contribute to the community of small independent mom n' pop businesses that are the heartbeat of our American economy. To share what I learn, to teach what I know, to consult and help at reasonable cost because it's all connected. You succeed, I succeed, WE succeed.

So yes, I DO live my passion. And the coolest thing about it is that it's growing, changing, embracing new ideals and heading in new directions. Most of what I am already doing is a part of the future, along with so much more. I am excited and can't wait to get my feet on the ground and start running with it all. I've given myself permission to dream again, to take that thing I love to do and do it - without twisting it or wrangling it into something that doesn't resemble my dream at all anymore.

I've untied my own knots, so to speak!
Thanks, Deena...I appreciated your email.

&

Ok, I'm ready. It's time to Hit Me With Your Best Shot! (Lyric Credit: Pat Benatar).

Got any topics you'd like to hear more about?

How about inspiring photos or resources you've been looking for?

Or perhaps comments about what I've been sharing about lately? (It's OK, I can take it....just don't do it anonymously, please!)

I know there must be some questions that have been burning in your brain about business, retail, decorating, marketing, branding, speaking, writing, video hosting... You can ask me almost anything. Really. Oh, what the heck, let's go all out: Personal, too.

No, I don't mean I'll give advice a la' Dear Abby (though 'Dear Diva' does have a nice ring to it...)because quite frankly I am soooooo not qualified to do that! I mean I'll answer any reasonable question about me, Mr. Deb, et al - except anything obviously inappropriate or involving the exact location of the new Diva central headquarters, my bank account number, my car license plates...you get the drift. (double wink).

Actually, go ahead and address those to Dear Diva - I kind of like the sound of that!

Post them in comments here on the blog or email me at Debi@thedecodiva.com.

((Speaking of which, here's the answer to one burning question I know someone will inevitably ask: No, I still haven't redesigned my web site. Yes, I know how hideous it is. I hate it. I ignore it. I don't even tell people about it, I just direct them here to my design blog instead. Dear former client/Microsoft guy tried but...well, I just think guys don't get what I want from a web site. I've got to find a savvy, sassy, saucy chick here locally to work with me to do it right. That's on my goal sheet for ought nine! Really, it is!))

I'll be answering your queries in the next few posts, so go ahead and Hit Me Baby, One More Time! (lyric credit: Britney Spears)OK OK no more song title punchlines...